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Man killed after hitting tree at Keystone; another dies of apparent natual causes

Two men died Saturday at Keystone Ski Resort in separate incidents on the mountain, one in a snowboarding accident and another of apparent natural causes.

William Sanko, 69, of Castle Rock was found unresponsive before noon at the junction of two beginner terrain ski runs, Silver Spoon and Modest Girl, according to Summit County Coroner Joanne Richardson.

Sanko had been skiing and there was no evidence of a collision or a trauma. Officials said his death appears to be a medical event. An autopsy has been ordered.

In the other incident, Adam Delaney, 28, of Englewood, apparently hit a tree while snowboarding on the intermediate Prospector run on the North Peak at Keystone. He was taken to St. Anthony’s Central in Denver, where he was pronounced dead at 3 p.m. He was not wearing a helmet.

Richardson said he appeared to have died of a closed-head injury and skull fractures. An investigation is ongoing.

Delaney’s death is the first ski-related fatality of the season in Summit County. A man also died skiing a glacier in Rocky Mountain National Park in the first backcountry accident of the season in October.

There were 17 ski resort deaths in Colorado during the 2007-08 season. Including backcountry accidents, deaths related to skiing and snowboarding totaled more than 20.